Shape Your Life and an ask

Six weeks ago, we began the first Shape Your Life Boxing session at Underdogs Boxing Club.

Six weeks ago, a dozen women trusted the team at Underdogs enough to walk into an unfamiliar place to try and unfamiliar sport with unfamiliar women.

The bravery in that alone astounds me.

Over the course of six weeks, we have seen a group of women - ranging in age from early 20s to late 50s - engage with the Underdogs team and with boxing in ways that are truly moving. From the initial and understandable hesitation about hitting hand pads and heavy bags to a more grounded and powerful confidence in what they are doing, the women in this Shape Your Life session have come so far.

At the end of each class, we come together as a group to chat about what the session means to them and to talk about hopes for future classes.

The women of Shape Your Life have said things to us like:- I know we only come once a week, but I feel a real inner peace now;- I've noticed that my posture has improved, and it carries into the rest of my week;- I feel strong here. I didn't think I was strong;- This is so empowering; and- With every punch, I take back some of what was taken from me

Shape Your Life Boxing is changing lives. There's no disputing that.

So, here comes the ask.... Shape Your Life is a program that participants do not have to pay for, and we want to offer the women the opportunity to continue to participate in boxing once the session is over in two weeks. It would mean the world to us at Underdogs to be able to tell the women in Shape Your Life that they can join Underdogs at a very low or no cost.

For the holidays, would you consider giving a woman the gift of mental and physical well-being? We've started a GoFundMe for just this purpose: https://www.gofundme.com/help-change-lives-at-underdogs. If you would prefer to make a donation directly to Underdogs (to ensure we benefit fully from your donation, rather than pay fees to GoFundMe), you can e-transfer a donation amount to laura@underdogsboxing.org.

On December 17, we would be so grateful if we could tell the women of Shape Your Life that they can continue to box at Underdogs; that they can continue to feel an inner peace; that they can continue to walk taller; that they can continue to feel strong and empowered; that they can continue to reclaim what is theirs.